Embossing device



March 3, 1953 E. J. ROWAN EMBOSSING DEVICE 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Filed April27, 1950 /1IIIIllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllIlllllllllllllllllllllWWH mm INVENTOR EUGENE J. QOWAN ATTORNEYS 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed April27, 1950 //V,VEN7'O2 fUC-FENE J POW/4 ATTOQA/E Y5 Patented Mar. 3, 1953EMBOSSIN G DEVICE Eugene J. Rowan, Rockville, N. Y., assignor to TheListolator Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation .of New YorkApplication April 27, 1950, Serial No. 158,467

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a printing device and more particularly to adevice for embossing characters on an impression surface from type.

It is an object of the instant invention to provide a device designed tofacilitate the preparation of display and advertising matter for theshop keeper and the like.

Another object is the provision of a device which can be convenientlyutilized for the making of printed strips for bulletin boards, directoryboards and the like.

A further object is to provide a device capable of turning out limitedamounts of display matter neatly and at a substantial saving over knownmethods.

Still another object is the creation of a device whereby display mattersubject to change can be readily kept up-to-date at low cost.

It is also an object of this invention to create a rugged and simpledevice which can be assembled, disassembled and operated by the mostinexperienced.

Other objects of the instant invention will become apparent in thecourse of the following specification.

In the accomplishment of these Objectives, the embossin device isconstituted of a platen in a horizontal plane carrying a strip ofmaterial on which raised characters are formed from type,

each piece of which is carried by a radially directed arm. The type armsare rotatably carried in a horizontal plane and each arm of the group ispivotally mounted in a vertical plane. The selected type character isrotated to a printing position over the impression strip and forcedthereagainst by an embossing lever on the forward stroke to raise thecharacter in relief while on the back stroke an indexin mechanism isoperated to properly position the strip for the addition of the nextcharacter. Upon the completion of one strip, it is replaced by a blankwhich is embossed in the same manner as the first until a sufficientnumber of strips have been prepared for the display. The strips havebeen especially designed for embossing by using a heavy fiber base ofone color over which a strip of paper of another color is fastened byrubber cement. The type cuts the characters out of the paper and raisesthem while the rubber cement permits the unused portion of the paper tobe peeled 011.

The invention will appear more clearly when taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings showing by way of example a Preferred embodimentof the inventive idea.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top view of the embossing device constructed in accordancewith the principles of this invention with a part of the surface brokenaway the more clearly to show the internal construction;

Figure 2 is an end elevational view, partially in section, of the deviceshown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary rear View of the embossing device shown inFigure 1 with the handle in the indexing position;

Figure l is a front view of one of the type arms;

Figure 5 is a side view of the type arm shown in Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a sectional view along 66 of Figure 4, but on an enlargedscale;

Figure '7 is a view in perspective of the strip to be embossed; and

Figure 8 is a view in perspective of the partially embossed strip shownin Figure 7.

Referring now in greater detail to the drawings, where like referencenumerals indicate like parts, reference numeral [0 indicates the base ofthe device, H the platen, I2 the type holder, l3 the embossing lever,and M the indexing mechanism.

The base I0 is made from any suitable material, substantially in theshape shown in Figure 1 where a longitudinal slideway I5 is formed atthe back for the slidable insertion of the platen II while an annularmember I6 is raised at the front for the rotatable insertion of the typeholder l2. The rim of the annular member has an opening adjacent theslideway and in the opening is a spring member 40 (Fig. 2) the bottom ofwhich is attached to the base ID in a known manner while the free endextends upwardly above the top of the annular member.

The platen H is constituted of a rectangular body designed to beslidably inserted in the slideway !5 and has along the back edge a rackI! which is attached thereto in any known manner. On either side of thelongitudinal center line of the platen is a recess I8 (Fig. 2). At theends of the recess are the left and right-hand brackets l9 and 20(Fig. 1) held in place by the similar screws 2!. The inwardly directedend of the bracket i9 may be formed to extend slightly over one end ofthe following described strip 22 and to provide a stop therefor whilethe bracket 20 may be rotatable in a horizontal plane over the strip andplaten. A detent spring 59 is attached in a recess formed along one edgeof the platen l I to prevent undesirable slippage.

The impression strip 22 (Figs. 1, '7 and 8) may have a base 23 made froma substantially rigid black fibrous material over the top surface ofwhich is attached with rubber cement or the like a strip of white paper24. Of course, any color combination can be used, the purpose being toobtain a raised character on a background of contrasting color.

The type holder i2 is a disc designed for rotatable insertion in theannular member IS in which it is supported by the stud 25 threaded intoa tap in the base as shown in Figure 2. To facilitate rotation, the typeholder l2 may be spaced from the base In by a washer 26 first insertedover the stud. At the periphery, the top surface of the disc is curvedoutwardly and downwardly (Fig. 2) in order to provide a surface on whichthe later described type arms 2'! may be pivoted or rocked when the typeface of the arm is forced against the strip 22. Adjacent the top of thedownwardly curved surface is a circumferential groove 28 furthercoacting with the type arms. The height of the washer 26 together withthe height of the disc I2 is sufficient to raise the plane of the top ofthe disc above the plane of the top of the annular member 16.

Radially supported by the disc I2 is a group of similar type arms 27having elongated tapered bodies as most clearly shown in Figures 1, 4,and 5. On the bottom surface of each arm at the front or wide end is adownwardly directed integrally or otherwise formed type carryingprotuberance 36. On the bottom surface of the protuberance is a typecharacter 36 (Figs. 4, 5, and 6) formed in such a manner that the doubleoutlines of the character will cut the character from the white paper 24as well as raise it when forced thereagainst. At the opposite or narrowend of each arm is another downwardly directed member 3| suitablypositioned and shaped to fit loosely in the groove 28 which aids inholding the arms in position when assembled as shown in Figure 1 butprovides sufficient play to permit the previously mentioned rocking orpivoting motion in a vertical plane when printing. Any suitable meansmay be used to fasten the member 3| to the arm or it may be integrallyformed therewith. Also at the narrow end of each arm but on the topsurface is a circumferential depression 32 (Fig. 2) which permits theperimeter of a spring washer 33, inserted over the stud 25 and thewasher 29, to be extended over the extreme inner ends of the arms 21,adacent the inner edge of the depression 32, to maintain the arms 2!automatically in a horizontal plane. The assembled washer 26, disc l2,washer 29. and spring washer 33 may be held together by the countersunkscrews 34 passed therethrough at suitable positions and fastened on thetop surface of the spring washer 33 by the nuts 35. Above the springwasher and over the stud 25 is a spacer 36 for the support of a cover 3!the circular rim of which is inside the free ends of the radiallydirected type arms 21 which permits the insignia of the type characterto be exposed (Fig. 1) to facilitate the selection of the character whenoperating the device. A slot (not shown) is provided in the cover toallow the later described embossing handle !3 to be brought in contactwith the top of the type arm at the embossing position or the pointwhere the center lines of the arm and the platen are perpendicular. Thecover 3! is held stationary by any suitable positioning member 38coasting with the base it. A nut is threaded on the stud 25 to rotata lyhold the assembly. Obviously, the cover 37 could be made to rotate withthe type arms and the type insignia placed on the cover over the armsand in a manner adapted to facilitate rotation, especial- 1y where thedevice is substantially enclosed.

The embossing lever I3 is constituted of a handle portion 4! attached atone end of a bar 42 or integrally formed therewith, the opposite end ofthe bar being held between the spaced parallel saddle members 43 and 44by any suitable fasteners 45. The bottom of the lever is then pivotallyattached to the upright portion of a bracket 46 by any known pivot pin47. On the bottom surface of the bar 42, near the bracket 45 and betweenthe saddle members, is an integrally formed downwardly directed member48 (Fig. 2) designed to be brought into operable engagement with thefree ends of one of the type arms on the forward stroke. On the backstroke, a rearwardly directed protrusion 49, integrally formed with thesaddle member 44, coacts with the following described indexing mechanisml4 to move the platen II a predetermined distance for the creation ofthe next raised character.

The indexing mechanism I4 is constituted of a pinion 50 in operableengagement with the previously mentioned rack I! and keyed to one end ofa shaft 51 rotatably held by the ears 52 and 53, the ears beingintegrally formed on the bracket 46. At the opposite end of the shaft 5|is a wheel 54 rotating therewith and formed with spaced rims 55 and 55between which are pivotall mounted four radially directed members 5?,51a, 57b, 510 of L-shape. Between each of the radially directed membersare stops 58 which permit one of the members, 51a in Figure 3, to berotated by gravity under the rearwardly extended protrusion 49 of theembossing lever when in the forward position but to be moved downwardlyon the rearward movement of the lever with the wheel. As soon as thenext radial member, 51 in Figure 3, is rotated beyond the vertical, itwill fall by gravity into the path of the protrusion 49 but on theforward stroke will be pivoted out of the way without rotating the wheel54 only again to fall by gravity, as soon as the protrusion 49 haspassed, to the position shown by the radial member 51a in Figure 3. Eachradial member is similar in both construction and operation.

In operation, the impression strip 22 with white paper surface 24uppermost is inserted in the recess l8 of the platen II with the endssecured by the left and right-hand brackets 19 and 20 (Fig. 1). With theimpression lever [3 in the rearward position or even in a verticalposition relative to the base ID, the operator selects, for example, thetype arm 21 having the indicia N and rotates the arm on the carrier l2until it is positioned over the spring member 40 when it will also bealigned with the member 48 of the embossing lever Hi. The lever is thenpulled forwardly over the carrier l2 when the member 48 will force thetype carrying end of the arm 21 against the strip 22 which both seversthe paper along the lines of the character N (Fig. 8) and forms a raisedcharacter. The bases of the saddle members 43 and 44 between which themember 48 is downwardly extended coact with the type arms in the exactpositioning of the type characters relative to the platen. Pivoting thelever l3 rearwardly, the protrusion 49 will come in contact with theradial member 51a (Fig. 3) and as the rearward movement conthrough theshaft 5| and pinion 50 and rack l1,

moves the platen to the left (Fig. 1) to receive the next characterimpression in the same manner. Only a limited number of type arms havebeen illustrated but it is to be understood that the carrier 12 can befilled to capacity and that any type face can be used. If the displaymatter requires more than one line, a second, a third, and other linesare prepared in the same manner and finally the prepared lines assembledto carry the completed story as shown by raised white letters on a blackbackground or the like.

It will be understood that the invention is not limited to the exactdisclosure herein described but may lend itself to a variety ofexpressions within the scope of the appended claims. For example, thesame machine can be utilized for embossing letters or characters ofdifferent sizes.

What is claimed is:

1. In a device for transferring a character from type to an impressionsurface on a platen; a fiat tapered type arm for each character, the armhaving a protuberance on the bottom surface at the wide end, the end ofthe protuberance carrying the type character, and a second protuberanceon the bottom surface of the arm adjacent the narrow end; a disc for thesupport of the type arms, the rim of the disc being curved upwardly andinwardly, the disc further having a circumferential groove in the topsurface and adapted to coact with the second protuberance on the armwith the first protuberance extended downwardly over the curved rim ofthe disc, means for rotatably supporting the disc so that the characterof each arm may be rotated to a position over the impression surfacewherein the longitudinal center line of the arm is perpendicular to thelongitudinal center line of the platen, means for maintaining the armsunder upwardly directed tension in a horizontal plane, and means fortransferring the type character to the impression surface.

2. An embossing device comprising a base, the I base having alongitudinal slideway, a platen slidable in the slideway; the basefurther having an annular member adjacent and extending above theslideway, the annular member having an opening through the rim on eitherside of the radius thereof perpendicular to the center line of theslideway, a spring member for the opening, means securing one end of thespring member in the opening with the free end turned outwardly andabove the annular member, a stud disposed in the base at the center ofthe annular member, a type holder rotatably supported by the stud, thetop surface of the holder being above the annular member and at the rimcurving outwardly and downwardly to the bot- 6 tom surface, the holderfurther having a circumferential groove adjacent the inner edge of thecurved surface, type arms for the holder coacting with the groove andthe curved rim thereof and each having a circumferential depression inthe top surface adjacent the inner end thereof, the opposite end of eacharm extending beyond the annular member and having a downwardly directedtype carrying protuberance thereon, said protuberance being adapted tobe positioned along the longitudinal center line of the platen when thecenter lines of the arms and platen are perpendicular, a spring washerdisposed over the stud and extending over the inner ends of the armsadjacent the inner edge of the circumferential depressions, means forsecuring the spring washer to the holder; the device further comprisinga lever pivotally disposed at the back of the slideway, the lever havinga protrusion at the back and a downwardly directed member at the front,the downwardly directed member coacting with the free ends of the typearms in the position of the opening in the annular member, and indexingmeans for the platen coacting with the protrusion at the back of thelever.

3. An embossing device according to claim 2 in which the indexing meansfor the platen comprises a rack disposed along the rear longitudinaledge of the platen, a pinion in operable engagement with the rack, ashaft for the pinion, means for keying the pinion to one end of theshaft, bearing supports for the shaft, a wheel keyed to the free end ofthe shaft, the wheel comprising spaced parallel rims. four equallyspaced radial members pivotally disposed between the rims, and a stopdisposed between the rims in advance of each radial member and adaptedin a predetermined angular position of the wheel to maintain the radialmember in operable engagement with the wheel and in the path of theprotrusion of the lever.

EUGENE J. ROWAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 119,537 Shiland Oct. 3. 18712,265,813 Peters Dec. 9. 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 88,888German Oct. 8, 1896 292,804 British June 28, 1928

